Wait, please don't call me Emperor Zhaolie

Chapter 357 Your Majesty, the Han Dynasty is about to fall
In the second month of spring in the third year of Jian'an (198), the weather was slightly cold and rainy. As the Central Plains, Hebei, and Jianghuai provinces gradually restored order, the Han army put down the wars among the princes.

The people in Huainan, in particular, had a rare good year last year. Not only were they free from Yuan Gonglu's extortion and plunder, but many of the tyrants who had usually seized land by trickery were also wiped out.

The common people of Qianzhou, who had no time to flee, were surprised to find that the Han army coming from Xuzhou and Yuzhou did not covet their last remaining food, and even conscripted them as laborers to transport food, weapons, and various supplies.

I didn't expect that the Han army would even provide meals. Although the bread they distributed was called naan, which was big and filling, eating too much would make you extremely thirsty. It was also inconvenient to carry, so I could only tie it to my body with a straw rope. When it was time to eat, I would take it off and eat a few bites with water. After I was a little full, I would carefully put the naan away.

The cooks in the rear camp of the Han army were given one naan every five days. If they ate sparingly, they could keep one-third of it, and take the rest home after they finished their labor service, as their families were short of food.

At that time, as people from all over the country surrendered, the damage and consumption of the Han army's swords, spears and lances decreased, and the demand for military equipment in Xuzhou gradually weakened, so many civilians were sent back.

These people returned to the village with the naan soaked with sweat, and excitedly told their fellow villagers what they had seen and heard in the military camp. They also held up the naan they had hidden for everyone to see.

Many people found it hard to believe. This was unprecedented. In the past, people who performed corvée labor had to bring their own dry food. If they were unlucky, they had to rush to the front. But now the Han army actually took the initiative to distribute food.

The news spread quickly, and not only the common people who were hiding, but even the Yuan soldiers who had fled back to their hometowns, all rushed to join the army, even if they were willing to serve as laborers.

They really didn't want to suffer from hunger anymore, and the more civilians went, the more excited they became. They were afraid that the Han army would not need so many people, so they rushed to do all the work.

Liu Fu, who was heading west, also joined Guan Hai's army in time. Taking advantage of his origin as a native of Pei State and his familiarity with the local terrain, he took the initiative to lead the Han army attacking Huainan. With his repeated military achievements, he was finally successfully tried out as a county magistrate.

Since he governed Lu'an County, he has provided relief to the people for several months and has gained a good reputation.

At this time, Liu Fu was talking with the county clerks, and said solemnly: "The king saw that many villages and counties in Huainan were empty, so he ordered the exemption of taxes for two years to restore people's livelihood, but the tax revenue of this county is not enough to replenish the granary, what should we do?"

To govern the people's livelihood, money and grain are also needed. Now there is no way to collect taxes, and the money in the warehouse is getting less and less. If he asks the county for money, it will show that he is incompetent.

At present, he is not yet an official county magistrate and is still in the probation period. If this happens, wouldn’t it make Governor Zhang have a bad impression of him?
The official thought for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "The county has collected a lot of land, many of which are government-owned. I heard that in Qingzhou, there are officials who do not employ common people, but instead personally lead their subordinates to cultivate government-owned land. We can follow their example."

"Secondly, reducing unnecessary petty officials will also save money for local officials. Huainan is originally rich. As long as we hold on for the first few years, we will surely have a good harvest in the future."

Liu Fu couldn't help but nod, and suddenly he heard heavy drumbeats outside. It was the official document from Luoyang that had arrived.

He reacted immediately and stood up, taking several clerks with him to check the printing plate against the clay seal. After confirming that it was correct, he opened the document and checked it.

Just this one look made Liu Fu's pupils tremble slightly, and his face changed with fear. He gasped and said, "The imperial seal has been found. Your Majesty wants to discuss rebuilding the Han Dynasty in Luoyang?"

After being shocked, he immediately reacted, raised his head and said to the stunned clerk anxiously: "Hurry up and prepare the documents, I want to write a letter to persuade him to ascend the throne!"

"For such an important event, I, Liu Fu, must not be absent!"

As the documents from Luoyang were delivered to various places, the officials of Qingzhou, Yanzhou, Xuzhou, Yuzhou, Jizhou, Youzhou, Jingzhou, Yangzhou and other places, a total of eight states, forty-six counties and five hundred and sixty-eight counties, blushed and were overjoyed. They heard the news one after another and wrote to the King of Han, hoping that the king would soon serve the ancestral temple, establish the country, lead the wise men and govern the world.

As soon as the document arrived, it set off a huge uproar in various places, the momentum of which was so great that even Liu Bei in Luoyang had never expected it. The governors and ministers of various counties submitted petitions one after another, asking the King of Han to flatter the great cause, govern the people according to the will of heaven, cleanse the old evils, and calm the hearts of all the people in the world.

Jingzhou, Jiangdong, Yizhou, Guanzhong and Bingzhou were all greatly shocked when they heard the news.

……

Guanzhong Chang'an City, the newly built palace.

"Bang!" A bronze ritual vessel fell heavily to the ground.

The palace servants fell silent instantly. Liu Xie, who was not yet twenty years old, could not help but feel his face change suddenly when he heard the news that Liu Xuande, the governor of Qingzhou, was petitioned by various counties in Guandong to succeed the Han Dynasty.

Since Li Jue and Guo Si gradually behaved politely, Liu Xie's situation has improved a lot. Although he still blames Wang Yun for being too hasty in governing the country, which led to the rebellion of the Liangzhou bandits, if he had pardoned them earlier, the Liangzhou bandits would not have broken through Chang'an.

After enduring humiliation for many years, he finally saw that the generals of Liang Province were no longer arrogant and domineering, and they no longer wantonly insulted the emperor and the three dukes and nine ministers. This undoubtedly gave him a glimmer of hope to regain power in the court.

However, as fate played a trick on him, the war between Hebei and Central Plains ended so quickly. Yuan Benchu, who had been a noble for four generations, was defeated at the first blow, and the Jizhou army was defeated and fled. When Liu Xie learned the news, he turned pale in the court in front of many ministers.

Even if he was stupid, he knew the stories of his ancestors Guangwu and Gengshi. What's more, his current situation was even worse than that of Emperor Gengshi and Liu Penzi.

Apart from hundreds of officials, the three dukes and nine ministers, as well as the empress, noble ladies and hundreds of palace maids, who else would obey his orders?
Every imperial edict issued by the court did not require the emperor's consent.

Not only was he a figurehead at the mercy of others, he was also very likely to be the king of a fallen nation. Thinking of this, Liu Xie asked the Grand Commandant Yang Biao in tears, "Lord Yang, will I also be the great-great-grandson of Emperor Xiaoxuan, Ru Ziying?"

Liu Ying, the king of a fallen country whose throne was usurped by Wang Mang, was imprisoned by the traitor Wang Mang when he was young. As a result, when he grew up, he could not speak clearly and could not recognize animals. When the Xin Mang Dynasty fell, he was coerced and enthroned as emperor. In the end, he was brutally killed by Li Song sent by Gengshi and died without a burial place.

Is Liu Xie going to end up like this?

Taiwei Yang Biao also burst into tears, and it took a long time for him to stop. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, there is no need to wash your face with tears. I heard that Liu Xuande is magnanimous and generous, and treats people with the style of Emperor Gaozu and the trustworthiness of Emperor Guangwu. He will definitely not let Your Majesty follow the old deeds of Ru Ziying. Maybe you can be Liu Penzi..."

When Yang Biao said this, many ministers in the court almost burst into tears and beat their chests. Everyone shed tears and hugged each other and cried bitterly.

They had to cry. Guangwu's Han was about to fall, but they had no time to submit to the Emperor of Luoyang. How could they not cry?

After enduring so much humiliation, he became one of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, but in the end, he was just an empty shell...

"Your Majesty, the Han Dynasty is about to fall. This old minister is heartbroken!"

One minister looked at Liu Xie's figure and suddenly burst into tears, speaking with tears in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)